1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic analyzing method and apparatus for a microfludic system, and more particularly, to an automatic analyzing method and apparatus for automatically performing operations, detection, and in data processing for a microfludic system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a microfludic structure performing an independent function in a microfludic system includes a chamber for holding back a fluid, a channel for flowing the fluid through, and a valve for controlling the flow of the fluid, and can be made by variously combining the parts. A lap-on-a-chip is a device for performing several steps of processing and operations by embedding such a microfludic structure on a chip type substrate in order to perform tests, such as a biochemical reaction test, on a small-sized chip.
In order to carry a fluid in a microfludic structure, a driving force is necessary, and for the driving force, a capillary force, electroosmotic force, or a force generated by a separate pump may be used. Recently, disc-type microfluidic devices for performing a series of jobs by embedding a microfludic structure on a disc-type platform and flowing a fluid using a centrifugal force have been suggested. Such a disc-type microfluidic device is called a lab compact disc (CD) or a lab-on-a-disc. Efforts for providing various disc-type microfluidic devices for quickly and accurately performing a job needed in a disc type platform based on the centrifugal force are progressing.
According to the development of microfluidic device technology, miniaturized devices, such as a lab-on-a-chip and a lab-on-a-disc, for replacing complex systems needed to automate processes from sample pre-processing to result analysis have been developed. Adding to the development of the miniaturized devices, it is also important that the miniaturized devices are automated for user convenience and safety.
In order to deal with various kinds of samples with a single device, different sample pre-processing processes may exist, and operations according to the processes are different as well. In addition, a plurality of analytes in a sample can be analyzed at the same time. For example, when a biochemical test of blood is performed, 4 to more than 10 biochemical substances can be analyzed with a disc, a set of testing items which can be analyzed at the same time is called a panel, various types of panels including different testing items may exist, and each panel must be dealt with using a single device.